1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical contact for a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket connector for electrically interconnecting an electronic package, for example a Central Processing Unit (CPU), with a printed circuit board, for example a mother board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 5-7, an earlier design of the electrical contact 8 for a ZIF socket connector comprises a base portion 81, a solder portion 82 extending from an end of the base portion 81 and a pair of arms 83. Each arm 83 comprises a body section 831 extending upwardly from an opposite end of the base portion 81 and a finger 832. The fingers 832 of the arms 83 are offset from each other in a vertical direction of the electrical contact 8 and each comprises a lead-in section 840 extending from the body section 831 and a contact section 850 extending from the lead-in section 840. The lead-in section 840 is generally stamped and formed in a curved configuration and thus defines a generally curved lead-in surface 841.
After a pin 9 of an electronic package is inserted into the ZIF socket connector with zero insertion force, the pin 9 is pushed along the lead-in surfaces 841 to move in a direction as indicated by an arrow A into a contact space 860 to be pressed between and electrically contacted with the contact sections 850. A pushing force herein needed is comparatively large since, as known to one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art, an angle defined by a line B tangent to the contacting area of the curved lead-in surface 841 and the outer surface of the pin 9, and the push direction of the pin 9 is comparatively large. Furthermore, during the course of the pin 9 moving along the curved lead-in surfaces 841, the angle defined between the line B and the push direction of the pin 9 varies with the variation of the contacting area of the outer surface of the pin 9 and the curved lead-in surface 841, and even increases when the contacting area of the outer surface of the pin 9 and the lead-in surface 841 is adjacent to the outer entry of the lead-in sections 840 due to the curved configurations of the lead-in sections 840. The pin 9 is often falling within the areas outside the outer entry of the lead-in sections 840 because of errors in making either of the pin 9, the electrical contact 8 and an insulative housing (usually a base and a cover) of the ZIF socket connector. Thus, the pin 9 is easily in the risk of being blocked and needs a comparatively larger pushing force.
Therefore, a ZIF socket connector with an improved electrical contact is desired.
A major object of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact for a ZIF socket connector which reduces a pushing force of a pin of an electronic package.
A ZIF socket connector comprises a base, a cover, an actuator and a plurality of electrical contacts in accordance with the present invention. The cover is assembled to the base and is actuated by the actuator to be movable with respect to the base. The electrical contacts are received in the base. Each electrical contact comprises a base portion, a solder portion extending from the base portion, and a pair of arms. Each arm comprises a body section extending from the base portion, and a finger comprising a lead-in section extending from the body section and a contact section extending from the lead-in section. The lead-in sections of the fingers are coined to define generally planar lead-in surfaces which guide a pin of an electronic package received on the cover to extend between and electrically contact with the contact sections with a reduced pushing force.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.